Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, will speak here next week on “Unique for a Reason: Why Marriage Matters. Why Does the Catholic Church Defend Civil Marriage?”

The presentation, free and open to all students, will be held at noon Wednesday, Feb. 15, in the Fireside Lounge of Koch Commons on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference is the public-policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota. Adkins, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. Thomas and a law degree from the University of Minnesota, was named executive director of the conference in March 2011.

Pizza will be served; reservations are not required.

Adkins’ talk is co-sponsored by Campus Ministry and the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Thomas, and by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.